One of the most innovative, and controversial, tattooers today -- a result of his multi-body works and the avant garde style in which they are rendered -- is Little Swastika (his name being a reclamation of the peaceful ancient symbol and not one of hate). In a private atelier deep in the countryside of South Germany, tattoo collectors from around the world offer up large swaths of their skin (he only does big work) for Little Swastika to realize their visions in a feverish, audacious style that is both brutal and sophisticated at the same time.

Exploring Little Swastika's work and life is Ink, Blood, and Spirit, a 15-minute documentary short directed and produced by Claudio Marino and shot and co-produced by Maciej Ustarbowski. A quick teaser of the film is below.

There are a number of screening dates worldwide. In NYC next Thursday, May 22, the film will be shown at Sacred Gallery in SoHo at 8:30pm. It should be an eye opening and inspiring evening, which I'm looking forward to. You'll also get a chance to view the works currently showing at the Sacred Gallery.

Yesterday, NPR reported that the US Food & Drug Administration are starting to take a more serious look into what exactly is in tattoo inks and the potential health risks:

The Food and Drug Administration has the authority to regulate
tattoo ink. But until recently, it hadn't, citing more pressing public
health problems and a lack of consumer complaints. FDA chemist Dr.
Bhakti Petigara Harp says that recently, the agency has started to see
an increase in consumer complaints.

In response to these complaints, the FDA has created a Consumer Update site & PDF called "Think Before You Ink: Are Tattoos Safe?" There's nothing in it that is really big news: yes, people have reported allergic reactions to some inks, and dirty tattoos can lead to infection. What's interesting in this update is that the FDA will be doing further research into (1) the chemical composition of the inks and how they break down (metabolize) in the body; (2) the short-term and long-term safety of pigments used in tattoo inks; and (3) how the body responds to the interaction of light with the inks. Looking forward to their findings.

In the past, the FDA has relied on local authorities to monitor tattoo pigments, but we could be seeing a move toward greater regulatory action on the Fed level -- perhaps a mandate that manufacturers of pigments reveal all of their ingredient list. And I don't think that's such a bad thing.